Over the past 15 years, Memory Ride has raised over $2.3 million for the Alzheimer’s Association’s research grant programs. Team Methuen Village will be joining hundreds of riders from across the country at the 2011 Memory Ride on Saturday, July 23rd, in cycling 100 miles to find a cure. Our five-rider team will take the 100 mile challenge to support all of our residents, families, and associates who attempt to conquer this devastating disease everyday. Every dollar donated goes to research so that one day we can find a cure. Each rider on Team Methuen Village carries the spirit and hope of the residents in our Compass Memory Support Neighborhood(R). We ride so that one day we will end this disease, and together we are part of that journey.

The ride starts long before the morning our team lines up on the starting line. Our fundraising goal is high but not impossible. We need to raise $3300 dollars for the cure. Will you help us? Donate by stopping in at the Methuen Village reception desk, or by visiting the event webpage at http://www.alzmass.org/memoryride/.  Thank you for your support!

A new study suggests that walking a mile a day can decrease the chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease or dementia in older adults.

The study monitored the exercise habits of 299 participants over thirteen years in total, beginning in 1989. Participants were evaluated based on an initial measurement of walking, then reevaluated nine and thirteen years after the initial examinations with high resolution MRI scans.

In the past, studies have been completed that focused on the effectiveness of physical exercise on brain function in older adults for periods of six months to one year, but never over such a long time frame. “This is the first study that really looked over a several-year span and was able to assess this,” said study author Kirk Erickson, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh.

It turns out that walking that distance can increase the size of a person’s gray matter, which is beneficial because gray matter shrinks as adults age, increasing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The researchers also found people who walked that distance reduced their risk of cognitive impairment by about half. However, walking more than one mile every day did not further improve brain volume.

At Senior Living Residences, exercise is an important component of Compass Memory Support. All of our communities offer on site Wellness Programs that include supervised exercise and walking groups, and many also feature strength training, dancing, gentle stretching, yoga, tai chi, and more.

Last Friday, October 1st, Methuen Village hosted their second annual Casino Night.. this time to raise funds for the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center. The event was a HUGE success! Over 150 people attended, including family members, residents, and professionals. An astonishing $4200 was raised, to support important research studies being conducted at BU. We are so proud to be partnered with BU, and to have this check to hand them, as a contribution to research that will take us closer and closer to finding better treatment, and one day finding a CURE for Alzheimer’s. We are still accepting donations.. if you are interested in being a part of the CURE, see Seth Dudley at Methuen Village. Your support is appreciated!